Someone asking for money - Anyone heard or experienced this? asking, Anyone, Someone, money, experienced

pkphilip

The story went like this:

After I dropped my friend back home close to Joyce station at about 12am, as I was driving out, there was a pickup has the hazzard light going off and driving towards me. The guy in the truck waved his hand at me, tried to talk to me.

The guy was at his 40s-50s, looked clean, told me that he was from Chilliwack working in Vancouver. He claimed that he and his wife were robbed in front of 20 people in skytrain in the morning. He had no money, no card, no anything, and driving around to get help from people to get gas/food so they could be back to Chilliwack. He said he has money in bank account at home and give me his number and will pay me back, etc etc...

I looked at the truck, it was definitely a work type pickup with bars to hook up some tools, a woman at about the same age was in the truck. I thought, only street bumps would come up a story like that. However, the guy seemed to be very sincere and his wife had the worry look... plus the truck looks legit to me (bumps wouldn't be stupid enough to steal a car to joy ride ba...) so I told him I only have $20.

As soon as the guy started to walk out of the truck, I locked the door. As I gave him $15 through my window, he had one hand reach into my window with his old Nokia 8390 phone, asked me for my number. At the same time I immediately had one hand on the window switch, one foot on the brake, and one foot on the gas. I figured if any thing happen, I will just close the window and take off right away. I really didn't care if I have to chop his hand off from the window and/or dragged him along should I need to run.

I refused to give him my number, and at the end, I just gave him my work number.. once he was facing back to the truck, I took off.

I really don't expect to hear from this guy anyways, if I do, I guess it's my luck... I just consider it a charity donation or helping someone really in need.... the whole thing happened at 12am... just a bit odd.

Anyone heard of similar things? or just that I am totally out of date that street bumps these days now have cars to ask for money?

Philip

[ 本帖最後由 pkphilip 於 2008-12-7 02:26 編輯 ]

Hyde

1) is bum, not bump
2) he is not gonna pay you back.

kaimui22

ha..i was reading the whole thing confused by the word "bumps"

1) Bums, not bumps

2) Actually most bums are quite rich....some might even have more $$ in their accounts than us. There was a show done of the topic of bums asking for money and most of them have a house AND a car..what they don't have is a full-time job. Many bums actually earn up to $25/hour asking for money on the road...girls might get more. I think the show that did the topic was W5 or something of that sort.

3) He won't pay you back. You said he got robbed in the MORNING, right? So why is he still at the skytrain station at MIDNIGHT?? He could have gone to the police or elsewhere to get money and help...there's no reason for him and his wife to stay at the station for an entire day asking for money....unless that skytrain station has people who pay him well..haha..like you. If he got ONE person every hour to give him $15 or $20, he would have made at least $150 or more in one day.

Hyde

we missed one important part....

he have his cell phone and couldn't ask for help.... i would've said straight to his face to tell him to call for help and then laugh how stupid he is.

but then, ppl still fall for these stupid stories

b06

It's very nice of u to act what u did, despite the skepticals...
Hope u really helped someone.

somewhereintime

You have a heart of gold, Philip. There are hundreds of street bums who would dream
up with the most bizarre  stories. Once a young man with a university textbook came to me
and said his wallet was stolen in the bus and he need money to go to school, he borrowed
$50 and left his book as a token, of course he never return for his book. It was before cell phone age.

tiffiant

its hard to say nowadays
so many bums here just don't work and keep asking for money

low_B

I saw some bums had a car

Catpiano

Everywhere wor .. esp downtown .. china town ..  lots of people ask for money in Canada .. mostly native ..  sometimes, just ask for $1 or $5 ..

Do the math .. if everyone gives him $5 ..  50 people a day ..  $250 a day ..   = $400 before tax ..  25 working day ..  $10K a month ga la..  not bad ..  

Time for me to switch job ...

Sigh .. we spoil them la..

somewhereintime

A classic case happens in Chinatown often:
A causcasian man around 20 Y.O. kneels down and cries begging for money,
then, around 4:00 pm, he would get up and clears up his act, puts on his
backpack and goes home. To him, it is like daily routine, acting.